Demographic details of the patients included in the study (n=36)
| Parameters | Data | Treatment first | Sham first | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 50.8 (11.2) | 51.2 (11.9) | 50.6 (11) | 0.89 |
| Sex (males/females) | 30/6 | 13/1 | 17/5 | 0.22 |
| White British, n (%) | 29 (80.5) | 12 (85.7) | 17 (77.2) | <0.05 |
| Caribbean, n (%) | 3 (8.3) | 1 (7.1) | 2 (9.1) | 0.83 |
| African, n (%) | 2 (5.5) | 1 (7.1) | 1 (4.5) | 0.74 |
| Indian, n (%) | 1 (2.7) | 0 | 1 (4.5) | 0.41 |
| White other, n (%) | 1 (2.7) | 0 | 1 (4.5) | 0.41 |
| Height (cm) | 175.3 (8.4) | 175.6 (6.4) | 175.1 (9.6) | 0.83 |
| Weight (kg) | 95.8 (17.7) | 93.8 (17.7) | 97.1 (18.1) | 0.59 |
| BMI (kg/m2)* | 29.7 (26.9–34.9) | 28.4 (26.6–35) | 30.6 (27.4–34.9) | 0.44 |
| Neck circumference (cm) | 42.6 (3.8) | 42.0 (2.9) | 42.9 (4.2) | 0.42 |
| Waist circumference (cm) | 103.8 (16.5) | 104.4 (14.1) | 103.4 (18.2) | 0.85 |
| Hip circumference (cm)* | 105.0 (99.0–111.0) | 107.2 (99.8–111.0) | 104.5 (98.3–108.0) | 0.26 |
| Waist:hip ratio | 0.99 (0.08) | 0.98 (0.07) | 1.00 (0.08) | 0.29 |
| Mallampati score I, n (%) | 8 (22.2) | 4 (28.5) | 4 (18.1) | 0.56 |
| Mallampati score II, n (%) | 15 (41.6) | 4 (28.5) | 11 (50) | 0.2 |
| Mallampati score III, n (%) | 8 (22.2) | 5 (35.7) | 3 (13.6) | 0.12 |
| Mallampati score IV, n (%) | 5 (13.8) | 1 (7.1) | 4 (18.1) | 0.35 |
| ESS (points) | 10.5 (4.6) | 11.4 (4.6) | 10 (4.5) | 0.39 |
| FEV1 (L) | 3.13 (0.82) | 2.94 (0.73) | 3.25 (0.86) | 0.26 |
| FVC (L) | 4.08 (0.89) | 3.89 (0.86) | 4.20 (1.07) | 0.34 |
| FEV1/FVC (%) | 76.8 (8.2) | 75.7 (9.9) | 77.4 (7.0) | 0.58 |
| SpO2 awake (%) | 94.6 (1.0) | 94.7 (0.6) | 94.5 (1.2) | 0.43 |
| Previous treatment: none/CPAP, n (%) | 18 (50.0)/18 (50.0) | 7 (50.0)/7 (50.0) | 11 (50.0)/11 (50.0) | 1.0 |
| Alcohol consumption (units/week)* | 2.0 (0.0–10.5) | 1 (0.0–5.9) | 4 (0–11.5) | 0.49 |
| Pack-years (years)* (12 lifelong non-smokers, 24 current or ex-smokers) | 10.0 (5.0–14.3) | 10.0 (6.5–12.1) | 10.0 (5–15) | 0.55 |
*Data were non-normally distributed and are expressed as median and IQR. Pack-years are calculated for current and ex-smokers only (n=24).
BMI, body mass index; ESS, Epworth Sleepiness Scale; SpO2: oxygen saturation.